And for my love? A crown of thorns
by The Feisty Rogue
Summary: Bellatrix dares herself to contemplate the implications of her family motto, and from there, James Potter, who's entirely too handsome for his own good.


"Oh, bugger off, Potter!" hissed the dulcet tones of Lily Evans, Head Girl, filthy Mudblood, and teachers pet – all wrapped up in pale skin, freckles, and dirty red hair; common, like a Weasley or a Prewitt.

Bella stepped to the side and smirked as Evans stormed down the otherwise empty corridor, and cast her eyes toward the boy – man, really, or near enough – that she'd left behind.

James Potter clutched a handful of Rhythmic Roses that had wilted where they swayed. His shoulders were slumped, and his hair, which he'd obviously tried to tame, was wild and messy from the hand he'd run through it. There was a stricken look upon his face which he abruptly hid when Bella cleared her throat, catching his attention.

"She'll never say yes, darling," Bella drawled. It was a good look on Potter, humiliation, his pink lips twisted in a tortured pout, his hazel eyes not quite hiding his hurt, and better yet, his anger, despite the golden frames he hid behind.

"Never say never," Potter jested, faking a smile. Unfortunately, despite his doubtlessly impeccable upbringing, his Gryffindor blood showed true. He couldn't bluff to save his life, not that any mask could hide the truth from Bella.

"Liar, liar," Bella taunted, and took a step closer.

Potter blushed, his cheeks burning an angry red. "Whatever."

He scowled and tossed the roses on the floor. With a jab of his wand they twisted upon themselves until they formed a jagged crown, thorns peeking through the petals. A final delicate flick aged his creation, transfiguring the stems into shining branches of rosewood that gleamed a rich red – pink, where the sunlight caught it.

Bella bent to pick up the crown, leaving Potter panting against the wall, having exhausted himself from fury and frustration and magic.

"This is quite splendid," she murmured, and settled it upon her head. It was light – lighter than she'd expected, and it settled softly upon her unruly curls. She tilted her head and looked Potter. He looked back, sneering at her. Bella smiled.

"You're a pureblood, Potter, of a line dating back over 800 years, rich with history. You need someone who's going to treat you like a king, not scorn you like a jester, however much you might pretend to be one." Bella curled her lip. "Even if you must pick a Mudblood, you can do better than Evans."

"That sounds dangerously like you're suggesting there are some Muggle-borns out there that might be acceptable. And here I thought you'd spout your family motto," Potter said, an intrigued gleam to his eye, even as his voice dripped with disdain.

"Toujours pur," Bella said, testing the words out in her mouth, familiar with them in a way that repulsed her after years of having been forced to recite it. She rolled the 'r', enjoying how Potter licked his lips, even if he didn't seem to notice. She dared herself to continue, after checking that there was no one about to eavesdrop. "Always pure… I prefer to think of that in terms of magic, darling. I'd rather not end up marrying a familial relation… and I'm sure Cousin Sirius agrees with the sentiment."

Potter snorted, and then seemed surprised with himself, straightening from his slouch against the wall as if he was only now aware that he'd become comfortable in her presence.

"You can say that again," he said quietly, fiercely.

Bella pursed her lips to hide her smile.

"I'll marry someone pure of magic, someone outside of my line, someone that doesn't fester with insanity, lest it spread to me," Bella said. "Unfortunately, this may mean that they are not pure of blood. Someone will have to reproduce with the Mudbloods, after all. The magical population is dwindling, as we are." A pathetic but true fact of life.

"And it may as well be you?" Potter asked, derisive.

"Well, perhaps," Bella said, although she couldn't quite bring herself to believe it.

Potter seemed to have caught her self-doubt, and it amused him. "What's this? A Slytherin opposing the pure blood agenda? That's murky waters you're treading, there."

Bella drew herself up. "As fascinating as this conversation is, dinner soon approaches, and I have an essay that needs writing." She gave Potter one last appraisal and allowed him to catch the way her eyes settled upon his broad shoulders, his toned chest, and the way his waist slimmed – only serving to make his stature more appealing.

"Thanks for the crown, darling," she said, and turned on one heel, enjoying the sound of Potter sighing to himself as she walked away.

* * *

Watching Potter interact with his friends was an intriguing business. Each of them had a unique relationship, peaks and troughs in the strengths of their friendship. It was easy to see, however, that Lupin found Potter and Sirius' nature's to be frustrating, and Pettigrew couldn't help but worship them, hanging onto their every word even as he resented their snide comments. The two other boys were oblivious, royalty, flying high.

Potter was cruel, although he didn't realise it. With each dismissive glance, casual flirt, and thoughtless prank, his peers were split, sometimes simultaneously; enjoying the ride, while knowing that the stag may yet turn, impale them on the sharpened antlers of a joke at any moment.

Bella preferred to prowl.

"Watch this, Prongsie!" Sirius crowed, heads turning as he did. He paced toward the entrance of the Great Hall; a bustle of Slytherin students had just walked in.

A flick of his wand, and Snape, an unpleasantly, oily half-blood with an enormous nose, grew a beak.

Bella hid a smile.

It was the beak of a magnificent bird, multicoloured and protruding from Snape's face in a way that was entirely too reminiscent of his actual features.

Snape attempted to counter the spell but could only utter a single word.

"Caw!"

The cry echoed around the room, and not a single other sound was heard. Then, even as Snape began to blush puce, the entire hall erupted with raucous laughter. Professors tried to control their students and failed miserably. Some were even laughing themselves.

Bella caught Potter's gaze. He was smirking, off to one side, Sirius taking the brunt of the professors' anger. His eyes twinkled with mischief and Bella nodded at him, appreciating the trouble the boys caused.

Over his shoulder, Bella noticed Evans steaming toward him, having already had her fill of shouting at Sirius, who peculiarly looked like he'd enjoyed it. Bella inclined an eyebrow, tilting her head toward in warning.

Potter's eyes widened, and he scarpered. Bella followed discretely, until he disappeared around a corner, and vanished entirely from sight.

Immediately, Bella drew her wand. She knew this part of the castle like the back of her hand. There were no secret passageways around here.

She nearly dropped her wand when a hand appeared from beneath a cloak of invisibility and beckoned her underneath.

"Merlin's fucking beard," she said, and accepted the invitation. Potter looked like a child getting his first wand, full of glee.

"Wasn't that brilliant?" he said, his eyes gleaming. "Just fantastic!"

Bella snorted. "You're fucking crazy. How'd you even make Head Boy?"

"My devilishly charming ways," Potter whispered, and winked at her. Bella wondered if he knew what this looked like, how scandalous it would be if they were discovered. She took a step closer.

"That beak – what bird has a beak like that? I've never seen it before."

Potter shrugged. "Some muggle bird Sirius and I saw when we snuck out to visit a London Zoo. Tow-caan? Toocun… Toucan!"

"Some muggle bird," Bella mouthed to herself. "Potter-"

He held up a finger to her lips. Bella tensed, one hand on her wand, the other on her knife, but Potter either didn't notice, or didn't care.

"I think you better call me James, huh, love?" he said, and wiggled his brows saucily. He looked like a moron.

Bella couldn't believe how attractive she found him, and everything he could represent.

* * *

Bella was minding her own business, for once, idly sketching the thestrals as she sat just out of reach of the Whomping Willow. She rather like the daring of it. It made her feel alive each time the branches stirred, and if she caught the occasional scratch on her cheek from a twig that stretched just far enough, well, she was competent enough to heal them.

"You're bloody insane."

Bella smiled, and cast her sketch book aside. James stood three paces away, staring at her with a peculiar kind of awe.

"So I've been told," she murmured. "Scared to come a little closer?"

"Terrified," James answered, blunt honesty that took her by surprise. She placed her hands behind her, leaning on them, and tilted her shoulders back. Her robe slipped to the side, revealing the blouse and skirt she wore beneath, unbuttoned from the throat with a careful casualness that was just enough to hint at the swell of her breast

She watched James' Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, then he resolutely stepped forward, seating himself next to her, eyes on the movements of the tree.

"Oh darling, I'll keep you safe," she said, and cackled at his disgruntled expression.

"It's a bloody vicious tree, and it doesn't like me," James grumbled, but shuffled closer, their arms pressed together.

Bella watched him from the corner of her eye. He'd caught the sun across his cheeks, likely from playing Quidditch now that Spring had truly come upon them. She'd even attended one of his games, and Gryffindor had smashed Slytherin, unfortunately.

She blamed Lucius, who'd bribed his way onto the team. More money than God, and even less sense. What Cissa saw in him, she didn't know.

"Sirius and Lily went to Hogsmeade yesterday. Together. Sirius and Lily," James said.

"Oh, you can't still want her," Bella snapped, giving herself away more than she would have liked.

James huffed. "No. I don't really understand it, but no."

Luckily, he seemed to have missed her slip.

Still, she thought. Enough was enough.

Planting one hand in the dirt, she shoved his chest with the other, and he tumbled back onto the grass. He stared up at her, wide eyed and guileless – confused, even.

"What?"

Bella leaned over him, his body warm against her own, and captured his lips with hers.

"Oh," James said, when they stopped to breathe. There was a wild grin upon his face that made her smirk. She pressed closer to him, and he moaned. She laughed, and kissed him again, biting at his bottom lip until he was pliant beneath her.

"Tell a single soul, and I'll curse each limb from your body, starting with this," she hissed, and rolled her hips. His breath stuttered, and he swore into her mouth.

"Bella... Bella… what do you do to me?" he whispered. "With you, it seems like the right way up is upside down. You drive me crazy."

Bella grinned, and stole one final kiss before rolling away. The Willow whipped past them, scoring a line down her cheek, and she licked the blood from her lips, metallic, and full of vitality.

When she looked over at James, his eyes were lidded, his gazed heated and full of promise.

She smiled, satisfied, vindicated.

* * *

"Is this really worth the bother?" Bella drawled, but allowed James to side-along her all the same.

There were dark bags under James' eyes, but his gaze was fierce.

"Bella – they're fucking useless. It's embarrassing. We're losing this war, and it's all because a bunch of pacifists are fighting for peace."

He bared his teeth. "We need someone with fangs."

Bella licked her lips. "I love it when you talk dirty to me."

James snorted. He glanced around, and Bella took in their surroundings. What she'd initially thought was an abandoned shed was something even worse – a shack. It was obviously run down and rickety, ivy clinging to windows that were so filthy they'd almost completely obscured the light from within.

"Come on."

"What a joy."

James was the first in, which Bella deemed to be acceptable in this one instance. She might be meeting with a bunch of pacifists, but none of them were idiots, and their leader least of all, despite what he might like to pretend.

She paused outside the door, listening through the rotten wood.

"Everyone," James began, and then stopped to clear his throat.

"What?" that was Lupin, sounding wearier than ever.

"You know you've all been badgering me to meet the woman whom I've been seeing… and to tell you who my informant is?"

"Get to the point, laddie," Moody snarled. There was a long pause.

"I hope after all this, I can return to some kind of sanity," Bella muttered to herself.

"WELL!" Moody bellowed.

Bella rolled her eyes and blasted open the door.

"She's me," Bella said, and cackled at each and every horrified look.

A dozen wands were drawn on her in an instant, but James stepped before her, glaring down his friends.

"Really? A cackle?" he hissed out of the side of his mouth.

"Really," she answered. Slowly wands dipped, some stowed away, some held loosely by their owners' side. Sirius was the first to huff a bitter laugh, a hint of a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, but no one else wavered, evidently doubtful of her sincerity.

Bella looked at each of the members, fixing them in her mind should she ever be betrayed to her family, and outed as a traitor to the pureblood agenda. If she survived the experience, she'd hunt whoever tattled down and kill them painfully. Most of them looked away with disgust or glared at her.

Only Dumbledore gazed back without prejudice, merely intrigue, and a hint of pride in his twinkling eyes. She sneered at him, and it only made him smile wider.

"Welcome," he said, and gestured to the room at large, "to the Order of the Phoenix."

Bella rolled her eyes, but she kept an open mind.

* * *

Word Count: 2349

Triwizard Task 3

Task: Use all of the prompts listed below.

1\. (AU) Role Reversal!AU (e.g, a Death Eater is an Order Member, a good character is bad, etc etc)

2\. (dialogue) "I hope after all this, I can return to some kind of sanity."

3\. (word) Hanging

4\. (word) Upside down

5\. (emotion) Confusion

Assignment #5 Muggle History - Task 3: Write about a couple who are both cruel and/or murderous.

Insane House Challenge 151. (Location) Hogwarts

365 Prompts Challenge 186. (Location) Hogwarts

Creativity Challenge 9. Light!AU

Jewels Citrine Ring: Write about someone being open to new ideas

Coffee 1. Affogato - Write about someone whose mood or personality changes frequently.

Scavenger Hunt 3. Write about a member of the Black family (not Sirius or Regulus)

Writing Club

Character Appreciation 22. Order of the Phoenix

Buttons (Words) 2. kill


End file.
